Cynical Parent
When you find yourself expecting and the shock/excitement/oh-crap-I’m-having-a-baby emotions start to wear off a little, you will likely find yourself looking up to find all the baby “unfriendly” areas of your home. Wall outlets, table corners, toilet seats, and… stairs.
Keeping kids safe around stairs requires the best baby gates for stairs – but which one actually is the best?!?
There are baby gates that mount to the wall and there are baby gates that pressure mount between the doorway to the stairs.
While pressure-mounted baby gates are my go to for rooms and doorways, they are not as safe and effective for use in stairwells. They’ll work for a while until the baby is pulling up to stand and then entering toddlerhood. Once the child is big enough, it may be easy for him to push the gate over or loosen it with a carefully placed tantrum.
Shopping for baby gates to keep your little one safe around stairs can be overwhelming – there are so many choices! We’ve made it easier for you by narrowing the list of the best baby gates for stairs down to four…
(Note: This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer at the bottom of the page.)
Best Baby Gates for Stairs #1: Dreambaby Chelsea Extra Tall Auto Close Security Gate
The first gate on the list of the best baby gates for stairs is the Dreambaby Chelsea gate. I like this gate because it is a pressure mount gate with the option to screw mount when used at the top of the stairs.
I’m a big fan of the gates offer the versatility to be pressure mounted or screw mounted as necessary.
I really like that this baby gate is extra tall at 41″. (My little guy has always been on the tall side. He also has a tendency to climb so that extra height is a real bonus.)
The gate offers a safety latch that is “baby proof” in that it has two locking mechanisms. The lock at the top slides to open, once that is slid, you then lift up on the gate to release the second lock on the bottom.
It also offers the safety bonus of an auto-close spring door.
Click here to learn more about the Dreambaby Chelsea Extra Tall Auto Close Security Gate.
Best Baby Gates for Stairs #2: Evenflo Easy Walk Thru Top Of Stairs Gate
The Evenflo baby gate requires mounting and tools to be used. It would pair wonderfully with the Safety Innovations kit (which I’ll talk more about at the end of this post).
This gate is 30″ tall but can be mounted up to 3″ off the floor to give you up to 33″ in height. It’s not as tall as the previous gate, but it should work well for the average sized toddler. The door width goes from 29-42″ with no option to expand beyond that point.
I do like that this gate can be mounted to have the door open one or both ways depending on the settings. It is also user-friendly for parents in that the lock is “baby proof” but easy to unlatch with one hand, while you hold said baby.
Click here to learn more about the Evenflo Easy Walk Thru Top Of Stairs Gate.
Best Baby Gates for Stairs #3: Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate
This baby gate from Summer Infant is the best if you are looking for style, versatility, and safety. This is the one I bought for my parent’s house.
I love the look of this metal gate. It comes in a gold and bronze color (but there are other color options as well).
This gate actually strikes the middle zone in height. Our first gate came in at 41″ and the second at 30″. The Summer Infant Extra Tall Gate sits at 36″. It also comes with extensions that allow it to go from 28″ (in a stripped-down version) to 48″ when the extensions are added on either side.
It can be used as a pressure mount gate between rooms but also comes with hardware to mount at the top of the stairs. I really like the durable and heavy design of this gate!
Click here to learn more about the Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate.
Best Baby Gates for Stairs #4: Summer Infant Top of Stairs Simple to Secure Metal Gate
This baby gate from Summer Infant is the most stripped-down version of all the gates we have reviewed on this list. It is the least expensive version but it still offers all the safety features needed to be included on our list of the best baby gates for stairs.
This Summer Infant Simple to Secure Gate is 30″ tall and expands from 29-42″. It comes with hardware for mounting at the top of the stairs.
It offers a very simple design but all the ease of one-handed opening. It’s a great gate for a quick and simple set up.
Click here to learn more about the Summer Infant Top of Stairs Simple to Secure Metal Gate.
Tip for Installing the Baby Gates at the Top of Stairs
The Safety Innovations No Hole Stairway Baby Gate Mounting Kit is fantastic if you are concerned about damaging your stairway when installing your baby safety gate.
If your stairs are framed with newel posts you can buy this kit to save yourself from destroying your posts and still allowing you to have the peace of mind that the gate is secure. (Keep in mind you will need to by one kit for EACH post.)
Pressure-mounted gates are less effective on newel posts because they are more likely to be pushed down by a standing child. There is usually less surface area, and it is more difficult to get a secure fit on many newel pole shapes. This mounting kit takes care of that!
This gadget is the perfect mix of safety and practicality.
Remember that the pressure mounting options are only truly secure when they are used in between rooms, not necessarily at the top of stairs. It is best to use a mounting kit for safety.
If you have stairs and a young child, you need one of these gates.
If you have stairs in your home, you don’t want to be without one of these gates. These gates are great for keeping your little one safe at the TOP of the stairs because of the way they can be installed securely and not easily pushed over.
Each of the gates on our list came with hardware and were rated as simple to install. My personal favorites are the Dreambaby and the Summer Infant Extra Tall.
Even if you don’t feel like your child can knock over the non-hardware installed gates, don’t risk it. It’s a little bit of money for a LOT of peace of mind.
Have you tried any of these baby gates before? Is there another good one that we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments!
